Gov finals

Introduction to American Government and Politics

political socialization

Complex process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values (family, school, media, religion, national events-all help to socialize)

political efficacy

The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference

political ideology

A cohesive set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and the role of government.

political culture

An overall set of values widely shared within a society

public policy

Anything the government chooses to do or not to do.

political participation

The activities used by citizens to influence political outcomes. ex. voting

formal institutions

institutions that influence behavior through laws and regulations

hyperpluralism

A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. An exaggerated form of pluralism; groups have success not because of their size, but because of their wealth/vigor

policymaking institutions

Branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. Us constitution established three of them: congress, the president, and the courts.

linkage institutions

Institutions that connect citizens to government. The mass media, interest groups, and political parties are the three main linkage institutions.

class or elite theory

contends that our society, like all societies, is divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule regardless of the formal niceties of government organizations (wealth = basis of this power)

pluralism

A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group; the more people in your group, the more influence you have

neo-liberal

type of liberal who supports spreading democracy to middle east and wants to make the world safe in order to protect America

neo-con

type of conservative who supports foreign policy and wants to reshape world for free trade and capitalism; ex. George Bush

social conservative

type of conservative who is pro-life, shared traditional values; ex. Ted Cruz

dixiecrat

one of the Southern delegates who, to protest President Truman's civil rights policy, walked out of the 1948 Democratic National Convention and formed the States' Rights Democratic Party

southern democrat

type of liberal who is fiscally liberal but socially conservative;

new england liberal

type of liberal who is fiscally liberal and socially liberal; ex. Bernie Sanders

blue dog democrat

Fiscally conservative Democrats who are mostly from the South and/or rural parts of the United States.

citizen

A legally recognized member of a state or nation that is entitled to its privileges.

refugee

A person who flees their home country due to a well-founded fear of danger

resident alien

noncitizen living in the country

alien

a foreign-born resident, or noncitizen

jus soli

The law of soil, which determines citizenship based on where a person is born.

jus sanguinis

The law of blood, which determines citizenship based on one's parents' citizenship.

enemy combatant

Enemy fighter captured on the field of battle whether or not a member of an army.

platform

a series of statements expressing the party's principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues

plank

each individual part of a political party's platform

nation

A sense of unity binding the people of a state together; devotion to the interests of a particular country or nation, an identification with the state and an acceptance of national goals.

state

A body of people living in a defined territory who have a government with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority.

country

an area, nation that is controlled by government

city-state

a city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state.

GOP

the grand old party; a nickname given to the Republican Party

democracy

A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives; the majority rules

republic

A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws; the government rules according to law

monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen

communism

A political system in which the government owns all property and dominates all aspects of life in a country.

capitalism

An economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations.

junta

a military group ruling a country after seizing power

oligarchy

A form of government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite.

fascism

A governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

totalitarianism

A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

authoritarianism

a system of government by and for a small number of elites that does not include representation of ordinary citizens (not restricted by a constitution)

constitutional monarch

A King or Queen is the official head of state but power is limited by a constitution.

plutocracy

a government controlled by the wealthy

aristocracy

A government in which power is in the hands of a hereditary ruling class or nobility

liberty

Freedom, immunity from arbitrary exercise of authority, political independence

legitimacy

moral authority for power because we have consent of the governed, no one is above the law, and a history or success

politics

Method of maintaining, managing, and gaining control of government (who gets what, when, and how)

Foundations of American Government

Enlightenment

18th century philosophy stressing reason, and how it can be used to improve the human condition. Natural rights was a major idea that influenced Thomas Jefferson in the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

government

the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

declaration of independence

1776 statement, issued by the Second Continental Congress, explaining why the colonies wanted independence from Britain.

demakratia

people-ruled government, direct democracy (Greek), the people make the policy themselves.

state of nature

The basis of natural rights philosophy; the condition of people living in a situation without man-made government, rules, or laws.

natural rights

Basic rights that are guaranteed to all persons; basic rights that a government cannot deny-Locke-life, liberty, property

articles of confederation

1st governing document of the US; created a "league of friendship" among sovereign states with weak central government; weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade

judicial review

the power of our courts to nullify acts of government that they deem as a violation of our constitution

social contract

an agreement in which people give power to a government in exchange for its protections

confederacy

A loose union of independent states

iron law of oligarchy

theory that power increasingly becomes concentrated in the hands of a few members of any organization

federalism

A system in which a written constitution divides power between the national and state governments

separation of powers

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law

rule of law

concept that government and its officers are always subject to the law

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

bicameralism

A legislative body where power is shared by two separate chambers so that neither can act without the agreement of the other; upper: Senate; lower: House

unitary government

A centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single, central agency.

limited government

A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution.

common law

A legal system based on custom and court rulings, generally accepted ideas of right and wrong that have gained judicial recognition

written law

officials made oral laws and were never written down. Rome made written laws since only patricians knew them and people broke the law frequently since they did not know it. It was finally accessible to everybody when it was written down.

code of law

A written set of laws that apply to everyone under a government

Bill of Rights

Added after the Constitutional Convention; created to gain support of anti-Federalists; guaranteed rights of individuals; first ten amendments

Democracy

government by the people

Magna Carta

"the Great Charter"; a written legal agreement signed in 1215 that limited the English monarch's power

Bill of Attainder

a law that punishes a person accused of a crime without a trial or a fair hearing in court

writ of habeas corpus

A court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person

ex post facto

a law that would allow a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed

reserved powers

those powers that the constitution does not grant to the national government and does not deny to the states

expressed powers

Powers specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution. For example, the Constitution gives Congress the power to coin money, impose taxes, and regulate interstate commerce; aka enumerated powers or delegated powers

enumerated powers

Powers given to the national government alone

delegated powers

Powers specifically given to the federal government by the US Constitution, for example, the authority to print money.

divided government

Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.

implied powers

Congress has powers that are not enumerated in the constitution, but they must be related to powers that are listed in the constitution; not expressed, but may be considered through the use of the Necessary and Proper (elastic) Clause

concurrent powers

powers shared by the state and federal governments

Shay's Rebellion

this conflict in Massachusetts caused many to criticize the Articles of Confederation and admit the weak central government was not working; uprising led by Daniel Shays in an effort to prevent courts from foreclosing on the farms of those who could not pay the taxes

amendment process

Proposed by two-thirds vote of both House and Senate. Ratified by three-fourths of the states. Article 5.

supremacy clause

The Federal constitution, laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land. States cannot interfere with federal power (ex. McCulloch v. Maryland).

impeachment process

The House of Representatives creates the formal charges, then the Senate conducts a trial and decides whether the accused is innocent or guilty

three fifths compromise

Compromise between northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.

federalists

Supporters of the Constitution that were led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. They firmly believed the national government should be strong. They didn't want the Bill of Rights because they felt citizens' rights were already well protected by the Constitution.

anti-federalists

They opposed the ratification of the Constitution because it gave more power to the federal government and less to the states, and because it did not ensure individual rights. Many wanted to keep the Articles of Confederation. They were instrumental in obtaining passage of the Bill of Rights as a prerequisite to ratification of the Constitution in several states.

popular sovereignty

The concept that political power rests with the people who can create, alter, and abolish government. People express themselves through voting and free participation in government

Virginia Plan

James Madison's plan of government that included a bicameral legislature and states got a number of representatives in Congress based on their population

New Jersey Plan

proposed a single-chamber congress in which each state had one vote. This created a conflict with representation between bigger states, who wanted control befitting their population, and smaller states, who didn't want to be bullied by larger states.

Connecticut Compromise

Compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators.

extradition

States may return fugitives to a state from which they fled to avoid criminal prosecution at the request of the state's gov

necessary and proper clause

Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government, aka elastic clause

liberal

collective responsibility, plurality of values, and rights of the accused and of minorities

conservative

individual responsibility, shared traditional values, and law & order